Fireborne Ranger
The Fireborne Marksman can provide cover fire, long range support and true to their birthright, loose deadly volleys upon their enemies or leave traps placed at locations meant to slow and weaken the enemy, be it by poisoning or catching their foot in a contraption designed to crush their heel. 'General Information' Total: 200 Average Height: 5'7' - 6'2' Average Age: 30 - 180 Armor: Leather cuirass with padded leather accessories, kettle helmet Weaponry: Longbow or crossbow*, short sword ( secondary ) Secondary Equipment: First Aid Kit, waist-quiver ( 24 arrows ), bodkin arrows, trap kits, small vial with doses of pitch, wool strips Battlefield Ammenities: Bedroll, canteens, wooden spoons / bowls, whetstone, *''' Archers will favor crossbow in situations where the weather or environment make it impractical to use a bow. Training In the first weeks of their recruitment, they undergo a series of exercises to test their fitness and build up a level of endurance suitable for the battlefield. It's your standard approach by any military unit. The weakest and least fit of their Enforcers -- as well as those suspected of connections with those who'd do harm to their cause -- are washed out by the second month and they often train with their melee-oriented peers up to this point, except their focus is on the mastery of their bow, practice of their aim, camouflage, crafting and placing traps as well as the maintenance of their bows, often made out of yew. In the forth month, they have become capable, but they are not tremendously skilled -- or even moderately -- and require further practice over time. What happens is that newly trained archers are often paired up with veterans and these veterans become responsible for the advancement of their recruit. Not only this builds a mentor-student relationship between them, it ensures the veteran can learn more about this recruit and ensure he's loyal. On top of that, both parties benefit; succesful veterans may be promoted or earn some benefits, whereas succesful new recruits can ascend among their ranks. This kind of pairing up, typically, lasts for up to one year, but may be concluded sooner, if deemed fit, by both the trainer and a supervisor. Newly recruited archers often compose garrisons of least dangerous locations, act as sentries or open fire from sentry towers upon advancing enemies, always from the safety of higher ground. In the battlefield, a seasoned archer often sticks arrows into the grass, up to a dozen and pick them up swiftly, prepare, aim and loose them. That allows them to open fire rapidly at advancing enemies. Abilities '''Volley In a coordinated effort, a group of ten archers or more can let loose a volley of arrows, it's not only deadly, but a blow to the morale of the defender as the sky darkens momentarily before a rain of death befalls them. Rapid Fire Once an arrow has been placed in a surface directly in front of the archer, he can effortlessly nock them, draw his bowstring and let loose at a surprisingly fast pace. The archer's rate of fire increases, allowing them to fire up to six or seven arrows in less than thirty seconds. Flaming Arrows By tying a thick wool strip around the tip of the arrow and applying some pitch, a second person can lit the arrow. The archer must let it loose immediately. As it flies, it will burn brightly and once it lands on a roof, flammable substance or anywhere suitable, it's likely to cause fire to spread. It's of no use against enemy infantry, it's sole use is a blow to one's morale and setting buildings ablaze. Aimed Shot Under 100 yards away from a victim, an archer can take aim, spend several seconds in preparation, decrease his rate of fire and unleash a deadly arrow, commonly an armor piercer ( bodkin ). That arrow, once unleashed, cast slice past plate, chain mail, muscle and bone. It's often fatal, especially if it's bone deep. Traps In addition to their other abilities, they can leave a plethora of traps, designed to poison, crush one's heel or cause a small, localized detonation meant to draw attention to the unfortunate victim moreso than cause harm. Note: Many of the items and abilities are inspired after the historial english longbowman and what they did in Crécy and Agincourt. Category:Personnel